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Gorilla Watches Fastback GT Drift: one well-priced wonder

We can well understand how the Gorilla Watches Fastback GT Drift takes its design inspiration from fastbacks from the 1960s and 1970s such as Ford Mustangs. If we may also add, the Fastback GT Drift has a character to match such muscle cars in terms of “speed”.

Why? The Gorilla Watches Fastback GT Drift is a “muscle watch” that has evolved from simple three-hand watches to a “super watch”, bypassing complications like power reserve indications, the GMT function and even moon phase displays and crossed the finish line with an unusual complication known as the wandering hour.

The wandering hour complication is a horological complication belonging to an elite club comprising members such as Audemars Piguet, Parmigiani, Arnold & Son, Urwerk and Vacheron Constantin.

Not bad for Gorilla Watches, a brand founded by Octavio Garcia and Lukas Gopp that appeared onto the horological scene in 2016. Octavio Garcia was the former chief artistic officer at Audemars Piguet while Lukas Gopp is a watch designer who had worked for brands such as IWC, Ralph Lauren Watches & Jewelry and Audemars Piguet.

In less than two years since the brand’s “birth”, they have “accelerated” from three-hand watches powered by made in Japan Miyota 8215 movements and entered high horology territory by launching a wandering hour complication thanks to the collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture.

Vaucher Manufacture made the wandering hour module, the G-5238, and the ever reliable Swiss-made ETA 2824-2 automatic is used as the base movement.

The wandering hour complication is not a new way of time-telling but it has been made popular over the past decade by Urwerk in particular.

The wandering hour complication in the Drift comprises three revolving discs, each bearing four different numbers where one disc with the current hour numeral will indicate the minutes over the minute track seen from 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock. Thereafter, the next hour numeral on the preceding disc will take over.

In technical terms, the wandering hour module is cam-driven with three planetary gears, each bearing four arms (for the four hour numerals).

What’s most noteworthy is that Gorilla Watches is offering this wandering hour complication for US$2,850 excluding tax but inclusive of shipping charges. This is way, way below what one can expect to pay for a similar complication found on other brands.

Do note too, that this model is limited to 250 pieces. Shipping began in November 2018. Gorilla Watches has stated that only 25 pieces of the Drift are produced a month. Those who ordered their Fastback GT Drift on 23 August 2018 onwards will only receive their watches in 2019.

The wandering hour complication may not have mass appeal as reading the time off its display requires some familiarisation time as it is uncommon in modern wristwatches.

However, it may be of high interest as well as worthy to those who simply want something different, notably watch collectors who enjoy such quirky yet spellbinding complications. In other words, those who “get my drift” (pun obviously intended).